Nato

Are social media posts claiming that Pope Leo XIV and a long list of celebrities each filed a $50 million lawsuit against a news host for "vicious, calculated defamation" real? No, that's not true: None of the celebrities named in the posts made any such statement. The claims came from a spam operation managed from Vietnam that uses AI-generated Facebook…

Does a viral video really show fans filming Brazilian soccer star Neymar Jr. in the restroom? No, that's not true: Facial recognition software says it's a different person. The video features a lookalike who has spent nearly four years impersonating the soccer player. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published by @Nowfootball on X on May 20, 2026.…

Is a viral image of a banner about Jimmy Savile a real photo from the May 16, 2026, anti-immigration rally in London? No, that's not true: Lead Stories didn't find credible news organizations that published the image as part of their rally coverage. Three online AI detectors said the picture was likely generated by AI. The claim appeared in a…

In a real social media post, did Donald Trump write about a Joe Biden visit to Moscow in 1987 and implicate him in various conspiracy theories? No, that's not true: The supposed post does not appear on the president's official Truth Social account, and there are no reliable reports that it ever did. Biden also never visited Moscow in 1987.…

Does the viral image of President Donald Trump and a girl wearing traditional Chinese dress show a real-life scene? No, that's not true: The image was created with AI. It originated from a meme account, not an evidence-based content creator. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X on May 13, 2026. The caption read: This poor…

Does a real video show an enormous whale breaching near the deck of a ship, swamping the crew with a giant wave? No, that's not true: This video is AI-generated and contains unrealistic glitches in the whale's anatomy, notably the area of ventral grooves on the whale's throat. The detection tool at Hive Moderation determined with 99.9% confidence that the…

Did Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania switch to the Republican Party, saying, "I'm never gonna be a communist who believes men should use the girls' bathroom"? No, that's not true: The story originated on a Facebook page known for its satirical content, which carries the warning "Nothing on this page is real." The image supporting the claim is also…

Is an "Internal Memorandum" reportedly from the White House Butler's Office about missing cutlery real? No, that's not true: There is no credible evidence that the memo is authentic, especially since there is no White House Butler's Office to begin with. The creator of the social media post also acknowledged that the memo was "satire" when someone responding to the…

Does a viral video capture a real fight between Brazilian soccer players Neymar and Robinho Júnior? No, that's not true: The clip contained glitches typical of AI-generated content. Neymar was not part of that soccer club when the video's timestamp suggested the incident took place. The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X on May 5, 2026.…

Did Senator Elizabeth Warren sell 20,000 shares of Spirit Airlines stock at a huge profit just two weeks ago? No, that's not true: A meme's claim that the senator sold shares in the airline before it went bust is unfounded. This story originated from a satire page that carries a disclaimer, "Nothing on this page is real." Press coverage documented…